Unexpected plasma gonadal steroid and prolactin levels across the mouse estrous cycle.

ABSTRACT: Despite the importance of the mouse in biomedical research, the levels of circulating gonadal steroids across the estrous cycle are not established with any temporal precision. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, now considered the gold standard for steroid hormone analysis, we aimed to generate a detailed profile of gonadal steroid levels across the estrous cycle of C57BL/6J mice. For reference, luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin concentrations were measured in the same samples by sandwich ELISA. Terminal blood samples were collected at 8-hour intervals (10 am, 6 pm, 2 am) throughout the four stages of the estrous cycle. As expected, the LH surge was detected at 6 pm on proestrus with a mean (±SEM) concentration of 11 ± 3 ng/mL and occurred coincident with the peak in proge

SUBMITTER: Wall EG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10225909 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature